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Two College Hoops Books Worth Checking Out

Long Shots: Jay Wright, Villanova, and College Basketball’s Most Unlikely Championby Dana O’Neil.

The longtime ESPN.com columnist gets inside the Philadelphia campus and digs deep into how Villanova managed to scrape off any painful memories left behind during the 2015 NCAA Tournament and discusses in-depth their marvelous tournament run to capture the 2016 NCAA title on the last second three-pointer by Kris Jenkins.

Coach Wright recently earned his 500th win and for any fan of Villanova basketball specifically or college basketball in particular, this might be a nice read for one of the most self-deprecating guys in all of college basketball.

Available on Amazon, eBay, Barnes & Noble, Half Price Books, and wherever books are sold online.

The second book takes you back to a special time in ACC basketball history:

Image courtesy of hpbmarketplace.com

The year was 1980, and in a span of less than two weeks–Duke hired Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina State hired the charismatic and jovial Jim Valvano. Together, they tried to take down the giant in the sport in North Carolina’s Dean Smith. And those battles were legendary during most of the 1980’s.

John Feinstein, author also to the acclaimed 1986 Indiana University book A Season on The Brink details key events behind the scenes that shaped two schools–one with minimal success in Duke and North Carolina State looking to forge a different identity. That book will be released this coming Tuesday, February 21 in paperback.